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Greene Graham Quizzes, Trivia and Puzzles
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Graham Greene Trivia

Graham Greene Trivia Quizzes

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Often considered one of the great writers of the Twentieth Century, Graham Greene was shortlisted for the Nobel Prize for Literature twice, but did not win it either time. His works are known both for their inclusion of Roman Catholic perspectives (as in "The Power and the Glory") and for their dealing with international intrigue (including "The Third Man", basis for the classic Orson Wells film).
5 Graham Greene quizzes and 60 Graham Greene trivia questions.
1.
  The Power and the Glory   top quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Graham Greene's 1940 novel is centred on a Roman Catholic priest on the run from Mexican authorities trying to suppress the church in the 1930s.
Average, 10 Qns, looney_tunes, Nov 11 19
Average
looney_tunes editor
Nov 11 19
477 plays
2.
  The Third Man   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This quiz is about the novella which Greene wrote and on which he based the script for the film. Note that the book differs from the film in several places, so knowing the film won't give you all the answers. *Spoilers*
Average, 10 Qns, rossian, Feb 05 16
Average
rossian editor
201 plays
3.
  Graham Greene: "The Quiet American"   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 20 Qns
"The Quiet American" is Graham Greene's novel about Vietnam. It's partly based on real persons and places, but the main story is fictional. Greene knew the political situation of the country very well.
Tough, 20 Qns, queenofsheba, Jul 10 07
Tough
queenofsheba
324 plays
4.
  Graham Greene's "The Power and the Glory"    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
One of Graham Greene's most famous works of literature is the story of a priest on the run from the government called "The Power and the Glory." This will test your knowledge of the book.
Average, 10 Qns, algrewehou, Feb 26 06
Average
algrewehou
569 plays
5.
  "Brighton Rock" by Graham Greene    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This is a wonderful book, and this quiz focuses on the characters and some of the key plot points.
Average, 10 Qns, cityrocker, Feb 26 06
Average
cityrocker
369 plays
trivia question Quick Question
Who saves whose life after this person breaks his leg?

From Quiz "Graham Greene: "The Quiet American""




Related Topics
  Contemporary Literature and Fiction [Literature] (23 quizzes)


Graham Greene Trivia Questions

1. What is the name of the central character of 'The Power and the Glory'?

From Quiz
The Power and the Glory

Answer: He is nameless

Graham Greene has stated in interviews that this namelessness served several purposes. One of them was to make the priest be representative of all Roman Catholic priests, so that his perseverance in the face of adversity shows the indomitability of the faith. The character of the priest was drawn on several real priests Greene had encountered while travelling in Mexico to write 'The Lawless Roads', a non-fiction account of the government's efforts to abolish the Church as an institution, and the practice of the faith by individuals, which occurred in the 1920s and '30s. Another source was the Jesuit priest Miguel Pro, who had been executed in 1927 without a trial after spending several years surreptitiously performing the banned functions of a parish priest.

2. The novella is based in which European capital city?

From Quiz The Third Man

Answer: Vienna

The novel is set in post second war Vienna which, like Berlin, has been divided between four occupying powers - Russia, Britain, France and America. Harry Lime has invited an author friend to visit him and write about the work Lime is doing with the resettlement of refugees. We also learn about the restrictions on travel which still exist, and that only a small amount of sterling can be brought to Austria (and can't be spent there anyway).

3. In what war is the story set?

From Quiz Graham Greene: "The Quiet American"

Answer: First Indochina War ('46-'54)

The First Indochina War was between France and Vietnam. France wanted to regain its former colony. France controlled the South, but the communists of the Vietminh controlled the North. Indochina was the French colony including today's Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

4. What is the whiskey priest's name?

From Quiz Graham Greene's "The Power and the Glory"

Answer: His name isn't given

Search the entire book and you won't find a name for him. He is simply called the whiskey priest. Padre Jose was another priest who renounced his vows and took a wife to please the government. Juan was a young religious boy who was executed for his beliefs in similar ways to the whiskey priest. And Mr. Tench is just a crooked dentist.

5. Which character is referred to as "The Boy" throughout the whole book?

From Quiz "Brighton Rock" by Graham Greene

Answer: Pinkie

When talked about in the third person, he is called "the Boy." When addressed directly by another character, the name "Pinkie" is used.

6. What term did Graham Greene use to describe the central character of 'The Power and the Glory'?

From Quiz The Power and the Glory

Answer: Whiskey priest

Greene stated that he had heard that term used during his travels to research 'The Lawless Roads' in reference to a priest about whose behaviour stories were growing into legendary proportions. Both the original and the fictional character made efforts to encourage those they met to strive for being the best they could be, and carried out priestly duties to the best of their ability; their characters, however, were flawed, so that they are seen as humans struggling to live a spiritually justified life, and not heroic figures. The weaknesses of a whiskey priest generally include alcoholism, as the name suggests; other shortcomings may include indulgence in sexual relationships (not evil in themselves, but forbidden to the Roman Catholic priest who is following the vows made at ordination), gambling to excess, and other forms of self-indulgence. The figure in this book is the archetype.

7. The character who arrives in Europe is an author named Martins. What is his first name in the novel?

From Quiz The Third Man

Answer: Rollo

Rollo Martins and Harry Lime have been friends since their schooldays, and Lime is rather a hero to Martins. On his arrival in Vienna, Martins is shocked to find that Lime hasn't turned up to meet him, so takes a taxi to Lime's flat. There, he receives the news that Lime has been killed in an accident, and that his funeral is due to take place at any moment.

8. Who was the president of Vietnam in the time of the story?

From Quiz Graham Greene: "The Quiet American"

Answer: Ho Chi Minh

Ho Chi Minh was a communist. He was the leader of the Vietminh party, and became president and prime minister. He was still active during the second Indochina War against the USA.

9. What is the whiskey priest's crime?

From Quiz Graham Greene's "The Power and the Glory"

Answer: Treason

The Mexican state of Tabasco has outlawed religion and even destroyed many churches.

10. How does Pinkie FIRST say that Spicer was killed?

From Quiz "Brighton Rock" by Graham Greene

Answer: By Colleoni's men

He thinks that Colleoni's men killed Spicer when they were both jumped, but he does not know that Spicer managed to get away.

11. Martins writes books based on the American 'wild west' under which pen name?

From Quiz The Third Man

Answer: Buck Dexter

Martins is something of a 'hack', churning out cheap paperbacks about the American west which sell well but earn him little cash. The book has a sub plot where Martins is confused with another, much more accomplished, author by the name of Benjamin Dexter which adds to his sense of not knowing what is happening or who he can trust. The other three options are all real authors of western novels.

12. Why was the American quiet?

From Quiz Graham Greene: "The Quiet American"

Answer: He was dead

Pyle is already dead in the first chapter, but a large part of the story tells what happened before. This technique is called starting "in media res": starting in the middle of the story.

13. What religion are Pinkie and Rose?

From Quiz "Brighton Rock" by Graham Greene

Answer: Roman Catholics

Pinkie's friends call him "Roman", and several references are made to the Catholic church's beliefs during the book.

14. The narrator of the book is a detective named Calloway from Scotland Yard. By which name does Martins repeatedly call him?

From Quiz The Third Man

Answer: Callaghan

Calloway sees Martins at the cemetery and strikes up an acquaintance without initially telling Martins that he is a police officer and had been investigating Harry Lime. Martins becomes drunk and mistakes his name, maybe deliberately to annoy him, although he does refer to him as Callaghan later in the book as well. At this stage, both men believe Lime to be dead and Calloway has accepted his death as an accident. The book is told from Calloway's point of view, based on his personal observations and details given to him by Martins.

15. What kind of place is Le Vieux Moulin?

From Quiz Graham Greene: "The Quiet American"

Answer: restaurant

It's the place where Fowler meets Wilkins. He uses this for his alibi. The Continental is a hotel, and The House of Five Hundred Girls a brothel.

16. What is the name of the whiskey priest's home parish?

From Quiz Graham Greene's "The Power and the Glory"

Answer: Concepcion

This is where he keeps his stash of wine and also where the book starts.

17. What is the name of the man who dies in the beginning of the book?

From Quiz "Brighton Rock" by Graham Greene

Answer: Hale

Hale seems to know that he is doomed from the very beginning. The consequences of Hale's death haunt Pinkie for the rest of the book.

18. What is the whiskey priest's daughter's name?

From Quiz Graham Greene's "The Power and the Glory"

Answer: Brigitta

Five years prior to the story, the priest gets drunk and hooks up with Maria. Coral is just a nice girl he meets during his period as a fugitive.

19. Who is the girl who relentlessly pursues Rose and Pinkie to find out details of the murder?

From Quiz "Brighton Rock" by Graham Greene

Answer: Ida

Pinkie tries to keep Rose from telling what she knows to Ida, and Ida's determination to prove him guilty keeps him worried throughout the story.

20. What does the police lieutenant chasing the priest do in villages where he thinks the priest has been a visitor?

From Quiz The Power and the Glory

Answer: Takes hostages, and kills them if they do not reveal the priest's location

The Chief of Police in the region is thoroughly corrupt, and happy to accept bribes and ignore the law. The lieutenant, however, is philosophically committed to destroying the Church, as a corruptor of the minds and spirits of those with who it comes into contact. He has a vision of a secular socialist state in which all citizens will be equal, and in which the wealthy landowners (including, of course, the Church) will have been forced to give up their privileges. Although this sounds like a noble goal, his methods are distinctly brutal. This character, nameless as his quarry, is thought to have been based on the real-life Tomás Garrido Canabal, who was governor of the state of Tabasco (1920-1924; 1931-1934).

21. What caused Pyle's death, according to Vigot?

From Quiz Graham Greene: "The Quiet American"

Answer: He was drowned in mud

He has a wound in the chest, but Vigot says that didn't cause his death. Fowler is the one who identifies the corpse.

22. What "game" does Coral teach the whiskey priest?

From Quiz Graham Greene's "The Power and the Glory"

Answer: Morse Code

The series of long and short taps described by Coral is Morse Code.

23. How does Pinkie differ from Dallow, Spicer, and Cubitt?

From Quiz "Brighton Rock" by Graham Greene

Answer: He doesn't drink

At the beginning of the story he is also celibate, doesn't smoke, and is much younger than his friends.

24. During his investigation, Martins comes across Lime's girlfriend, Anna Schmidt. What is her occupation?

From Quiz The Third Man

Answer: Actress

Martins first sees Anna at the cemetery, when he notices her weeping over Lime's (apparent) death. When Martins begins to suspect that Lime has been murdered, Anna is one of the people he tracks down. Martins soon convinces himself that he is in love with her. Anna's feelings are much more ambiguous, not least because she is living in fear of the Russians and at risk of being arrested as an illegal immigrant. She is working as an actress, although she is described as being not very good at the job.

25. What dice game was popular among the French?

From Quiz Graham Greene: "The Quiet American"

Answer: Quatre Cent Vingt-et-un

It's a game where you have to throw a one, a two and a four in as few attempts as possible. It gives an idea of the everyday atmosphere far away from the front.

26. What is the name of the book that the whiskey priest leaves at the dentist's house, and what language was it written in?

From Quiz Graham Greene's "The Power and the Glory"

Answer: "La Martir Eterna" (Latin)

The whiskey priest left this book at the dentist's house. The fact that it is written in Latin and that it is a religious book led Mr. Tench to hide it in his oven.

27. When Pinkie goes to visit him, which play does Prewitt quote?

From Quiz "Brighton Rock" by Graham Greene

Answer: "Dr. Faustus" by Christopher Marlowe

The line Prewitt quotes when Pinkie goes to see him is: "Why, this is Hell, nor are we out of it."

28. Despite his strong anti-religious feelings, the lieutenant decides to allow the priest to make his confession on the night before he is scheduled to be executed. Who prevents this from happening?

From Quiz The Power and the Glory

Answer: Padre José's wife

The lieutenant's decision to allow this, despite his rabid anti-church feelings, was a sign that he was not entirely ruled by his obsession, and was willing to provide some comfort to a man whom he had come to respect. Although Padre José has been defrocked, the Church would have allowed him to hear confession in a case where the man was dying, and the priest was pleased to have the chance to make his final confession before death. Padre José's wife, however, adamantly refused to allow him to do it - and he had become so dependent on her since their marriage (which destroyed his sense of self-respect) that he did not have the will to stand up to her.

29. Why did Miss Hei want her sister Phuong to leave Fowler for Pyle?

From Quiz Graham Greene: "The Quiet American"

Answer: Fowler was married

Miss Hei wants her sister to marry and have children. Fowler is a bad candidate because he's married to Helen, and she doesn't want to divorce.

30. What kind of Bible does the whiskey priest critique at the Lehr's house?

From Quiz Graham Greene's "The Power and the Glory"

Answer: Gideon

The whiskey priest disliked the Gideon Bible because he felt that it was too earthly and our focus should be in the heavens.

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